598 LAWS OP MARYLAND [CH. 236

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE RECORDS OF THE CITY;
AND SHALL PERFORM SUCH OTHER DUTIES AS THE
COUNCIL MAY BY ORDINANCE PRESCRIBE OR THE
CITY MANAGER MAY DIRECT.

G. (Qualifications and Duties of Corporation Counsel. ) The
Corporation Counsel shall be appointed by the Council and
shall serve at its pleasure. His compensation shall be fixed by
the Council. He shall be an attorney at law who shall have
been admitted to practice before the Maryland Bar, but need
not be a resident of Takoma Park. He shall be the chief legal
adviser and attorney for the City and all officers thereof in
matters relating to their official powers and duties. It shall be
his duty to perform all services incident to his office; to attend
all meetings of the Council, except when excused by the Mayor
from so attending; to give advice in writing, when so re-
quested, to the Council or the City Manager; to prosecute or
defend, as the case may be, all suits or actions to which the
City may be a party; to prosecute all offenses against the ordi-
nances of the City and such offenses against the laws of the

State or County as may be required of him by law or by

direction of the City Council; to prepare all contracts, bonds
and other written instruments in which the City is concerned,
and to endorse on each his approval of the form and correct-
ness thereof; and to perform such other duties of a legal nature
as the Council may by ordinance require.

H. (Powers and Duties of Head of Finance Department. )
The head of the Finance Department shall be responsible to the
City Manager for the administration of the financial affairs of
the City, and to that end he is authorized and directed:

1. To prepare the budget under the direction of the City
Manager, as hereinafter outlined, and to assist the City Mana-
ger in the administration of the budget after its approval by
the Council.

2. To maintain accounting control over the finances of the
City government in accordance with law, and perform such
other duties pertaining to the financial records of the City
government as the Council may by ordinance prescribe or the
City Manager may direct.

3. To collect, receive, have custody of, and disburse all taxes,
assessments, licenses, fees and other moneys accruing to or be-
longing to the City, subject to the provisions of this charter
and ordinances enacted hereunder; to have custody of all in-
vested funds of the City or in possession of the City in a fiduci-
ary capacity, and to keep a record of such investments, and to